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Thursday, April 16th, 2026
the Second Week after Easter
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Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

Jeremiah 27:17

Do not listen to them. Be subject to the king of Babylon. Then you will continue to live. Why should this city be made a pile of rubble?'"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Minister, Christian;   Zedekiah;   Thompson Chain Reference - Nebuchadnezzar;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Babylon;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Babylon;   Jeremiah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Herodians;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Jeremiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Greek Versions of Ot;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon and live! Why should this city become a ruin?
Hebrew Names Version
Don't listen to them; serve the king of Bavel, and live: why should this city become a desolation?
King James Version
Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste?
English Standard Version
Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon and live. Why should this city become a desolation?
New American Standard Bible
'Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city become a place of ruins?
New Century Version
Don't listen to those prophets. But serve the king of Babylon, and you will live. There is no reason for you to cause Jerusalem to become a ruin.
Amplified Bible
"Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city become a ruin?
World English Bible
Don't listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: why should this city become a desolation?
Geneva Bible (1587)
Heare them not, but serue the King of Babel, that ye may liue: wherefore shoulde this citie be desolate?
Legacy Standard Bible
Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city become a waste place?
Berean Standard Bible
Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon and live! Why should this city become a ruin?
Contemporary English Version
If you choose to obey the king of Babylonia, you will live. But if you listen to those prophets, this whole city will be nothing but a pile of rubble.
Complete Jewish Bible
Don't listen to them. Serve the king of Bavel, and stay alive; why should this city become a ruin?'
Darby Translation
Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city become a waste?
Easy-to-Read Version
Don't listen to those prophets. Serve the king of Babylon. Accept your punishment, and you will live. There is no reason for you to cause this city of Jerusalem to be destroyed.
George Lamsa Translation
Do not listen to them, says the LORD, but serve the king of Babylon and live, that this city might not become a desolation.
Good News Translation
Don't listen to them! Submit to the king of Babylonia and you will live! Why should this city become a pile of ruins?
Lexham English Bible
And you must not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon and live. Why should this city become a site of ruins?
Literal Translation
Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon and live. Why should this city be a waste?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Heare them not, but serue the kinge of Babilon, yt ye maye lyue. Wherfore will ye make this cite to be destroyed?
American Standard Version
Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city become a desolation?
Bible in Basic English
Give no attention to them; become servants of the king of Babylon and keep yourselves from death: why let this town become a waste?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live; wherefore should this city become desolate?
King James Version (1611)
Hearken not vnto them: serue the king of Babylon, and liue: wherefore should this citie be laid waste?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Heare them not, but serue the kyng of Babylon, that ye may lyue: Wherfore wyll ye make this citie to be destroyed?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Israel is a wandering sheep; the lions have driven him out: the king of Assyria firsts devoured him, and afterward this king of Babylon has gnawed his bones.
English Revised Version
Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city become a desolation?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor nyle ye here hem, but serue ye to the kyng of Babiloyne, that ye lyue; whi is this citee youun in to wildirnesse?
Update Bible Version
Don't listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: why should this city become a desolation?
Webster's Bible Translation
Hearken not to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: why should this city be laid waste?
New King James Version
Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city be laid waste?
New Living Translation
Do not listen to them. Surrender to the king of Babylon, and you will live. Why should this whole city be destroyed?
New Life Bible
Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon and live! Why should this city be destroyed?
New Revised Standard
Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon and live. Why should this city become a desolation?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Do not hearken unto them, serve the king of Babylon land live! wherefore, should this city become a desolation?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Therefore hearken not to them, but serve the king of Babylon, that you may live. Why should this city be given up to desolation?
Revised Standard Version
Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon and live. Why should this city become a desolation?
Young's Literal Translation
Ye do not hearken unto them, serve the king of Babylon, and live. Why is this city a waste?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city become a ruin?

Contextual Overview

12 I told King Zedekiah of Judah the same thing. I said, "Submit to the yoke of servitude to the king of Babylon. Be subject to him and his people. Then you will continue to live. 13 There is no reason why you and your people should die in war or from starvation or disease! That's what the Lord says will happen to any nation that will not be subject to the king of Babylon. 14 Do not listen to the prophets who are telling you that you do not need to serve the king of Babylon. For they are prophesying lies to you. 15 For I, the Lord , affirm that I did not send them. They are prophesying lies to you. If you listen to them, I will drive you and the prophets who are prophesying lies out of the land and you will all die in exile." 16 I also told the priests and all the people, "The Lord says, ‘Do not listen to what your prophets are saying. They are prophesying to you that the valuable articles taken from the Lord 's temple will be brought back from Babylon very soon. But they are prophesying a lie to you. 17 Do not listen to them. Be subject to the king of Babylon. Then you will continue to live. Why should this city be made a pile of rubble?'" 18 I also told them, "If they are really prophets and the Lord is speaking to them, let them pray earnestly to the Lord who rules over all. Let them plead with him not to let the valuable articles that are still left in the Lord 's temple, in the royal palace, and in Jerusalem be taken away to Babylon. 19 For the Lord who rules over all has already spoken about the two bronze pillars, the large bronze basin called ‘The Sea,' and the movable bronze stands. He has already spoken about the rest of the valuable articles that are left in this city. 20 He has already spoken about these things that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon did not take away when he carried Jehoiakim's son King Jeconiah of Judah and the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem away as captives. 21 Indeed, the Lord God of Israel who rules over all has already spoken about the valuable articles that are left in the Lord 's temple, in the royal palace of Judah, and in Jerusalem.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

serve: Jeremiah 27:11, Jeremiah 27:12

wherefore: Jeremiah 27:13, Jeremiah 38:17, Jeremiah 38:23

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 10:5 - We are thy servants Jeremiah 42:11 - afraid Titus 3:1 - to be subject

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Hearken not unto them,.... The false prophets:

serve the king of Babylon, and live; pay homage and tribute to him; which is the way to live in your own land, and enjoy the benefits of that, and of the temple worship; which, if not, you will be utterly deprived of:

wherefore should this city be laid waste? as it certainly will, should you rebel against the king of Babylon; and as it was in a few years after, when they did.


 
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